CBP - U.S. Customs and Border Protection

10/19/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/19/2021 10:08

RGV Border Patrol Agents Discover 39 Harbored Migrants

EDINBURG, Texas -Rio Grande Valley Sector Border Patrol (RGV) agents discover 39 migrants harbored in two stash houses in the Upper Valley.

On Oct. 18, at approximately 2:00 p.m., RGV agents in coordination with Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office deputies, approached a Penitas, Texas, residence suspected of harboring illegally present migrants. As a result, 26 migrants from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador were found in a run-down house with limited access to basic necessities. The migrants were taken into Border Patrol custody. No caretaker was identified.

On the evening of Oct. 18, a concerned citizen reported suspicious activity in an abandoned apartment in Roma, Texas. RGV agents alongside Roma Police Department officers, arrived at the property and discovered 13 migrants harbored within. The migrants were from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, including one female unaccompanied juvenile. The migrants were found to be in good health and were taken into Border Patrol custody. No caretaker was identified.

All subjects are being processed accordingly.

Even with the spread of the COVID-19 virus, human smugglers continue to try these brazen attempts with zero regard for the health and safety of migrants or the citizens of the U.S. they may encounter. The U.S. Border Patrol agents of the Rio Grande Valley Sector will continue to safeguard the nation and community against these criminal elements.

Please visit www.cbp.gov to view additional news releases and other information pertaining to Customs and Border Protection. Follow us on Twitter @CBPRGV and @USBPChiefRGV.